Emirati Railway
The Emirati Railway is a fictional intercity passenger train that goes between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The fleet, which currently consists only of three revenue series, of the which that is more commonly used at this time strongly resembles an MTA R16 and a German U-Bahn set. The paint job consists of stainless-steel silver and the UAE flag trailing along the sides, with a black chassis and underframe. The most notable feature is the spotlight above the front center door, which is used more for a practical purpose; the main headlights are under the anticlimber by the plough and coupler. High-Capacity Batteries Many people question where the AR-4B and AR-4B-IC sets collect their power, as third rail pick-up shoes or pantographs are not seen. The reason behind this is: It is operated by high-capacity batteries. These can be found under the train between the front and rear bogies. It should be noted that there are in fact, two batteries seen, but only one is used per trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Upon arrival at either terminal, the used-battery receives an electro-magnetic pulse from a series of panels placed between the rails. This recharges the used-battery and takes two hours for it to reach full capacity. During this interval, the train goes into idle, shutting off all the onboard entities, like lights, air-conditioning, and wireless communications. Passengers are not allowed to board the train during idling, as it is unsafe due to the desert-temperature heat that builds up in the train without the air-conditioners being turned on. When the battery capacity reaches the maximum limit, it is still not operational, as there is a twelve-hour cooldown period due to the stress from the pulse waves as well as the heat. This is where the second battery comes into effect, providing power for the way back. Idling is then ceased, allowing passengers to board safely with all entities available. There have been instances where either both batteries have failed at the same time or one of the two batteries combusts. In scenarios like these, the affected train is immediately halted to prevent further damage, where it will be collected via the work car and sent in for repairs. Passengers will then be picked up by charter buses and taken to the original planned destination. It should be noted that the only vehicle in the fleet of Emirati Railway that does not have this powering system is the AR-4B-S, which is powered by a diesel-electric engine. Trivia * All of the classification names for Emirati Railway's fleet are both pun-based and meaningful; the first series is Emir, which is both a real word and the first four letters of Emirates, the second series is AR-4B, which spells ARAB, the third series is AR-4B-IC or InterCity, which spells out ARABIC, and the sand-plow is AR-4B-S, which spells out ARABS. There is no designation for the diesel-powered work car. * There is no true basis to what the Emirati Railway's trains are based off of, but rumor has it that they were a crossbreed inspiration between the SEPTA Silverliner IV, a SAR Red Hen, and an LU D-Stock. * The third revenue addition to the fleet, the AR-4B-IC, is clearly based off of a SEPTA Silverliner V. It has a high-pitched horn in contrast to the lower-pitched horn that the AR-4B and Emir have. * The interior, which is not seen in the Rails Unlimited game, is depicted as clean, futuristic decor with 'bucket-style' seats, grab-irons, and luxury-class LED lighting. * The Emirati Railway used to have a third-rail power system, which was used only for the older AR-4B Series cars, now referred as 'Emirs' in contrast to the longer cars, known as 'Emiratis'. However, the desert heat would cause the rail itself to short-circuit often and maintenance was too expensive, so batteries were sought out instead. * The horn on the AR-4B trains strikes a deep chord, strongly reminiscent of the horn heard only once in the 2008 movie, Knowing, during the subway scene. * There is in fact, a door chime that plays when the doors close, but it is not revealed in the Rails Unlimited game for unknown reasons. * Very recently, the Emirati Railway purchased former Canadian National Railway snow-plow vehicles. They underwent modifications to fit the network's regulations (high-intensity spotlight, white warning stripes, and sand filters) and are used to clear heavy mounds of sand that the normal revenue trains would be unable to clear themselves. This vehicle in particular is known as the AR-4B-S Series. In Popular Culture * The Emirati Railway was featured in Derail Files, a serious series of videos showing footage of derailments and incidents. Being the first of the entire series, it shows an AR-4B Series train losing control after a faulty switch causes it to jump the track and lose alignment. It is the most violent edition of the entire Derail Files franchise, as it shows people being mowed down by the now-sideways train cars, which skid across the bustling platform and eventually jack-knifes when it collides into a concrete pillar. * There is also a soundtrack for the Emirati Railway, which consists of synthesized instruments and an Arabic traditional-folk-style beat that emulates track joints and clicks. It is available on YouTube and SoundCloud. The latter includes a second version as well as a 'night-service' edition. * A written story was also created. It is about a young adult Emirati named Mansour who finally earns the job of working for the Emirati Railway, with his two friends Salem and Khalid as supporters. His arch-nemesis, Sadiq, sees this as an opportunity to tease him, as 'trains are outdated modes of transportation and a waste of technology', so he says. The plot darkens from there, as Sadiq becomes hellbent on crippling both the railway and Mansour in an attempt to derail the train twice, succeeding in the latter by using an old lorry. You can read the story on Google Docs. * While Emirati Railway is entirely fictional, it has become widespread known to both the Rails Unlimited player-base and elsewhere. * The overall livery is somewhat inspired by the real-life freight counterpart, Etihad Rail, a relatively-new freight line that currently serves the BAE. * Category:Trains